UCLan students share wonders of Grizedale with Singapore visitors for design project

04 December 2015

Lyndsey Boardman

Collaborative work leads to exciting creations

Design students from Singapore have been welcomed to the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) for a nature-based project inspired by the Lake District’s Grizedale Forest.

The 47 students from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) joined 20 UCLan interior design students for an annual collaborative project where, this year, they were given four days to create a wearable structure based on what they found in the forest. Results included headdresses, hand jewellery made from trees and a cape covered in leaves.

“We’ve been coming to UCLan annually for the last five years and all of the students get a lot out of it. We’re already looking forward to returning in 2016.”

Mr Jung Shin, a lecturer in spatial design from NAFA, commented: “We’ve been coming to UCLan annually for the last five years and all of the students get a lot out of it. They’re able to blend cultural and creative differences to come up with some really interesting designs and this year is no exception. We’re already looking forward to returning in 2016.”

Third year UCLan interior design student Lia Hodgkinson said: “Working in a group with the Singapore students was a great experience and was something we would never have been able to do if not it wasn't for studying interior design at UCLan.

“It was very interesting to see various students’ working styles and to meet people from a completely different background. We really enjoyed spending the time with them and creating our collaborative piece.”

Interior design Course Leader Nigel Simpkins said: “The project has been our most successful collaboration with NAFA to date and the end results are fantastic. It has been really impressive to see how the different groups have mixed and worked so creatively together.”